Looking for ideas to improve front bead

franzfmdavis

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I would appreciate any ideas on how to increase the size/visibility of this gold front bead (it is a 1961 Ferlach/Borovnik O/U double rifle)?

Thanks!

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I had a gunsmith increase the size of the bead. You can also file the sight front edge at a 45 deg angle to catch light. Otherwise you can get optic fibre sight. A good Smith or even DIY enthusiast could fit it
 
Agree with above idea, or have a smith build a new one. You may want to push that one out and take measurements,.....NECG may come close to fitting, then you'd have a lot of options. They are relatively easy to fit with some filing, etc.
 
This sight appears to be drop in sweat fit. No dovetail. Sweating on a fiber optic sight is out. It will melt.

Filing the face of the bead flat and then painting the front face with flat white primer would be my suggestion. Wash the bead well with 99% isopropyl alcohol before painting to remove all traces of gun oil. Good luck.
 
I would appreciate any ideas on how to increase the size/visibility of this gold front bead (it is a 1961 Ferlach/Borovnik O/U double rifle)?

Thanks!
It looks like a dovetail type fit front sight. Highly recommend a red fiber optic (or green FO) depending upon your eyes, and we are all unique in that respect. If not a larger white bead.

A Ferlach gunmaker should be able to fit a Recknagel (sold in the US by New England Custom Gun).

Good luck and let us know how it works out for you.
 
This sight appears to be drop in sweat fit. No dovetail. Sweating on a fiber optic sight is out. It will melt.

Filing the face of the bead flat and then painting the front face with flat white primer would be my suggestion. Wash the bead well with 99% isopropyl alcohol before painting to remove all traces of gun oil. Good luck.
Hello @Ontario Hunter : Can you explain what you mean with a "drop-in sweat fit" ? Thanks!
 
Hello @Ontario Hunter : Can you explain what you mean with a "drop-in sweat fit" ? Thanks!
I do not see a dovetail like the sights NECG sells. It appears that this bead was simply set in a slot on the base and silver soldered in place. I'm not sure how else it could be attached without a dovetail in the sight base. Curious, though, how the bead could be soldered in place without loosening the base. Wait ... the base is incorporated in the rib. That could explain it.
 
The NECG website does seem to have some good options - thanks for the recommendation. As I think about it relative to the rear notch sight and secondary flip up leaf, I wonder if a larger front sight would negatively impact the accuracy, especially of the secondary flip up leaf which has a very narrow slot?
 
I do not see a dovetail like the sights NECG sells. It appears that this bead was simply set in a slot on the base and silver soldered in place. I'm not sure how else it could be attached without a dovetail in the sight base. Curious, though, how the bead could be soldered in place without loosening the base. Wait ... the base is incorporated in the rib. That could explain it.
There appears to be a slot with the sight that was slid into the ramp - it may be slightly dovetailed but its hard to tell. This was the measurement from the bottom of the slot to the top of the bead (as best as I could measure)
 

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